So, we see that God’s anger will exact just revenge upon both the Jew and Gentile who remain in disobedience against His truth. But the apostle comes back again to remind us of the happy alternative, that there is eternal life for those who humble themselves and sue for mercy on God’s terms. “Glory, honour, and peace,” will be the lot of every one “that worketh good.” Once more, the idea of “worketh good” here is a description of the character of the child of God, and not a definition of how he obtains divine favor. I mentioned above the apostle John’s remark that those who do righteousness are born of God. We may apply the same truth here, in order to remind ourselves that every person who does work good does it not because of his own innate virtue, but as a result of having been born from above.

Once again, the apostle establishes his point by reminding us that God’s gracious distribution of salvation is not according to a person’s lineage, but is given indiscriminately to all who work good by His grace, whether a Jew or a Gentile. We see here the apostle beginning to hammer time and time again upon a point which he will scarcely let drop throughout this epistle, that Jew and Gentile have the same need, and that God has provided one remedy for both. He strengthens that argument in verse 11 by reminding them of another principle familiar from the Old Testament, “For there is no respect of persons with God.” Thus, Paul would have us know that God would not overlook a Jew’s rebellion and permit him into heaven in spite of his wickedness, simply because of his illustrious ancestry. Neither would he ignore the faith and virtue of a Gentile because of his heathen background. Both would be judged according to a standard of perfect righteousness, and the disobedient of either race must without fail be condemned. On the other hand, those who by faith serve God in the Spirit, will be accepted by Him, and will obtain eternal life through the grace of Jesus Christ our Lord.